Report: Raptors to retain head coach Dwane Casey, may shuffle assistant staff

After two consecutive Atlantic Division crowns, it appears as if the Toronto Raptors will stick with the status quo.

Multiple reports suggest head coach Dwane Casey will be kept on for next season, despite an embarrassing sweep in the first round of the playoffs at the hands of the Washington Wizards.

Instead of canning Casey, management might settle for changing several members of Casey's assistant staffing corps, notes Mitch Lawrence of NBC New York. However, no decisions have been finalized, reports Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun.

Casey boasts the best record as a head coach in Raptors history and was signed to a three-year extension last summer. However, an ugly 25-25 finish to the regular season and the first-round sweep has left many fans dissatisfied with his performance.

It didn't help that Toronto's best player, Kyle Lowry, was icy when asked about Casey during exit interviews, flatly stating that the choice to retain or fire the coach was "not (his) decision."

The main critique of Casey focuses on his unimaginative offenses. The Raptors' isolation-heavy offense managed the fourth-best offensive rating during the regular season, but their offense quickly dried up in the playoffs when defenses intensified.

It also doesn't help that Casey - a defense-first head coach - oversaw the 25th-ranked defense this season.

However, keeping Casey is consistent with Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri's repeated efforts to preserve continuity with this current squad. The Raptors did enjoy two of their most successful seasons to date with Casey, and removing the head coach might risk upsetting the current core.

Instead, Ujiri will likely try to improve his squad by giving Casey better pieces to work with. The Raptors have a wealth of cap room this summer and could stand to improve at both small forward and power forward.